TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Friday January 17, 1997

Flu knocks them for six

Fears that Campbeltown Grammar School would have to close because of an ongoing flu epidemic were allayed this week, despite a rising number of absentees.

On Tuesday January 14, a total of 228 people called in sick; 204 pupils or 38 per cent of students, 10 teachers and four non-teaching staff.

‘At the present, we are coping through the employment of supply staff from as far afield as Lochgilphead and thanks to the efforts of staff in providing internal cover,’ said Mr Crossan, Campbeltown Grammar School director. ‘While some classes are having to be amalgamated, there are no plans to close the school.’

Pupil absences have been higher than average since the start of term but the absentee rate has risen dramatically over the past week.

On Monday January 6, the figure stood at 10 per cent, nearly double the expected rate.

And yet by Monday January 13, this had risen even further to 34 per cent and by Tuesday January 14, 38 per cent.

The worst affected year group was S4, with an absent rate on Monday of 52 per cent, although this dropped to 51 per cent on Tuesday.

‘I don’t ever recall it being this high,’ added Mr Crossan. ‘But indications are at the moment that it’s going to continue.’

Across Kintyre, the picture was similar, although not quite so severe. Drumlemble, Rhunahaorine and Dalintober primary schools were all badly hit with absences, around a third of the total roll in each case, but in all three schools the staff fortunately remained relatively unaffected with only one or two teachers being off.

Elsewhere in Campbeltown, both Castlehill and Saint Kieran’s primary schools also remained largely unaffected, with absent rates remaining below 10 per cent.

And outside South Kintyre, few schools were affected whatsoever.

The Campbeltown Health Centre reported a comparatively typical level of demand for this time of year with a spokesperson saying that it had not been particularly affected by the minor epidemic.

Fishing focus

The post-Christmas blues seem to have struck fisherman just as much as everyone else with

only 1,180 boxes of fish being landed last week.

One or two boats started back the weekend after New Year, but the majority waited until Monday before venturing out.

Catches were good at the start of the week but, as the week progressed, strong tides forced them to drop.

Four Northern Irish boats started the week fishing around Kintyre but, by Wednesday, there were only two and, by Thursday, there were none.

The scallop boats which were working around the west side of Kintyre moved round to the Clyde mid-week, but catches remained poor all over and with the New Year, the majority of the creel boats seem to have given up fishing for buckies.